Echo of Redemption
by Darth Deceptius
Summary: Sometimes, an end to one thing can lead to the beginning of something new. What can one make of it? Simple, really,everyone's the carrier of their own burden, from the moment they pick it up until they set it back down.


I didn't saw anything similar in any fanfic, so I decided to break the rather popular canon following and/or switching Nezuko and Tanjirou in their roles. I'm all for trying something new, with characters that do not get their moment to shine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kimetsu no Yaiba or any of it's component, I do own The Arbiter, Source and Echo, and everything from their verse, as I'm the content creator of it.

* * *

It was over. The final battle between two beings of immeasurable power, one among many they fought, crossing over time, space, reality and the very existence itself. The decisive clash between the Source and its Echo, held outside of human perception yet so very close to the world they call home, one of its many iterations in the great muliversal web.

On an existential plane above the one inhabited by humans, beyond the reach of simple mortals, a story reached its last page. Was the instant right after the last lines from the 'unwritten book' faded away history retold once again, or perhaps those were insights, glimpses of the future shown? Only a handful truly knows. What's sure is that the story of a rivalry between the two sides of the same coin, one of the Source and his Echo ended that instant. Their battle for survival, their similarities and differences clashing, as well as their respective 'missions' came to an end, an epilogue with a victor and the defeated one.

The redeemed Source launched his attack, but there were others aiding him, yet despite that, the distorted, twisted Echo was confident as he stood his ground. The attack was powerful, but nothing the Echo couldn't possibly out handle, that is until it was amplified by the will of an entity beyond comprehension, even by the standings of the likes of him. The person who gave him life is now taking it away, how ironic that was.

The demonic looking Echo knew this was his loss the moment he sensed His involvement. If the Arbiter wanted you gone, then that was it for you, there was no escape. In that single instant a myriad of thoughts imposed themselves onto his mind.

Why would his Master go as far as to erase him, purge from existence?

He did everything he asked of him, opposing the Source, the one he derived from, yet was destined to fail, as it now looks. He, who's done everything in his power, even the unspeakable to stop his own Source in his plans, even when it wasn't asked from him.

In that last second of him being, his thoughts shifted from questioning his demise to regrets.

Was he nothing but a tool, a mean to his Master to set the Source right and then to be discarded? Why wasn't he bestowed with freedom of choice? Why wasn't he able to experience life, other than being a shield to multiple mortal realms, even when he proved to be the demise of some.

Was it because with him breaking from the initial mission, being corrupted by his own desires to win, to prove himself superior to his Source and his actions after that happened?

Whatever the reason, it was too late now to change things. The demonic looking entity knew any struggle was useless, every complaint pointless. He was preparing for the inevitable when he recalled an event. It was a memory from several years ago, one he treasured as him doing more than being a tool, one from before he got corrupted by his own ambition.

* * *

_It happened years ago on Earth, at least one of the many alternate Earths, in the country known by the Earthlings as Japan._

_The demonic looking entity known as The Echo stood motionless, with his arms crossed seemingly observing something in the sky. He knew his appearance would alarm the local populace but he payed it no mind. The hood of his usually worn tattered black robes was down leaving his face on clear display for the locals._

_'Oni!' was the word they used to label him with as they pointed their fingers at him. He didn't blame them, since his look was anything but friendly. His look was specifically chosen to make the former human he was tasked to stop feel uneasy. His perfect copy with clear monstrous traits._

_The Source, despite becoming a cosmic entity used his former look, the one he had as human. A man of average height, dark brown short hair, blue eyes, athletic build, one could say he looked like an average human._

_His Echo however had an appearance from nightmares. Below the dark black, unruly hair there was the face regular humans would think belongs to the Devil , gray skin, and a mouth clearly too wide to be human, full of spiky, sharp teeth to further prove the point. His eyes, that was something most humans found unsettling, They were all black, sclera, irises and pupils, as they were all merged together. His fingers ended with short but sharp claws, same as his boots covered toes and all over his visible body there were dark grey, almost black crack like lines._

_The inhabitants were apparently thinking the being was one of their worlds creatures they referred to as Oni, demons. However no one could explain why this entity stood unharmed under the sun that apparently was harmful to these demons._

_Then, the most unusual of things happened for all the gathered to witness in shock and disbelief. A temari, a cloth ball rolled to a stop as it met the 'demons' boot. In the next instant a small human girl approached the Echo as the onlookers failed to stop her._

_"Mari, oji-san! Mari... mari!" the small girl shouted, trying to get the Echo's attention._

_He turned towards the energetic little girl and chuckled internally at being called 'oji-san' being only years old in human measurement of time he was technically younger than her. The girl he estimated was at about 10 years of age. She had brown hair and amber eyes and was clad in an orange kimono. But what most intrigued the Echo was her smile, not faltering in the slightest even when he turned towards her, his demonic appearance now in her full sight._

_She just stood there with her small arms outstretched, the shouts for her to run by the gathered people fell on deaf ears as she spoke again,_

_"Mari." She asked for her ball again, and the Echo couldn't help but smile at her, minding his appearance he gave her a small, close mouthed smile as he knelt to pick her ball._

_Still kneeling he gently tossed her the ball that she caught with ease before she started jumping up and down, laughing with glee._

_Then, shocking everyone there, even the Echo himself the girl asked him to play ball with her._

_"Play... Play with me." Her smile grew even bigger at the prospect of a companion to play ball with._

_Recomposing himself quickly, the entity gave her a smile followed by a nod which made her squee in delight tossing him back the temari._

_The scene that unfolded left everyone present speechless as they watched the little girl play ball with an entity that belonged in the most horrific of nightmares, at least appearance wise. Their game went on for several minutes before a female voice called for the little girl. It sounded quite frightened even with its owner trying not to._

_"Susamaru-chan! Susamaru-chan!" the mother, the entity assumed the woman to be called to her daughter, obviously scared for her safety and well being._

_The girl caught the temari then she run towards the entity and what she did next left everyone in shock once again as she hugged the entity as best as their height difference allowed her._

_The Echo was at a loss too, as never in his short existence has a mortal shown him affection now acted friendly towards him in a genuine way. He quickly snapped out of his thoughts and head patted the girl gently, then knelt down and picked her in his arms. He then walked towards the woman and with the utmost care placed the child in her arms._

_As they were walking away the girl waved at the Echo who returned the gesture, then his gaze turned back to the spot in the sky he was observing before, the gentle expression on his face was gone._

_'So, He managed to free himself already...' he thought, then, as it looked to the humans around he simply vanished into nothingness. Once again he was ready to engage his Source in vicious combat, thinking about Susamaru the little girl he met earlier and what his failure meant for her world and herself._

* * *

His memory ended making him wonder... it was strange why he'd cling to that memory in his last moments, however he was glad for it, it gave him a sort of inner peace. Then, the precious memory faded, just as everything around him was. Perhaps it was just his perception, as he was the one fading into the cold oblivion with the World around him simply keeping it's forward motion, cruel as it may seem. He smiled one last time as he focused his last conscious thoughts on that event from years ago and the little girl who he thought as his first and only friend, one from 'childhood'.

'Susamaru...' his world then ceased to be, as he was enveloped by a thick coat of a never ending, unforgiving darkness, then, before long, he was gone.

* * *

End of prologue. Hope you, the readers enjoyed it.


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